March 4 in LGBTQ History

1971: Village Voice columnist Jill Johnston comes out in her article, “Lois Lane is a Lesbian,” sparking a controversy between feminism and lesbianism that results in various Johnston antics, including simulating an orgy during a panel discussion moderated by Norman Mailer.

1972: The California DMV reports that while the majority of the 65,000 vanity license plates have presented no censorship issues for the department, a few plates – including “HOMO”, “GAYLIB”, “EAT ME”, and “LOVE69” have been banned.

1973: Two weeks after the National Organization for Women passes a resolution establishing the fight for lesbian rights as a “top priority”, feminist Betty Friedan publicly accuses “man-hating” lesbians of trying to take over the organization.

1981: A twenty-year-old Kansas City truck driver, David Groves, is found guilty of murder in the June 1980 shooting death of a gay man. Groves had told the police “it was an honor” to kill a homosexual.